At Project Information Literacy (PIL), we have launched the "PIL Provocation Essays" in early 2021. Our occasional series features timely essays about what “literacy” means in all its manifestations. At at a time when finding reliable news and information is more difficult than ever, we publish a new long-form essay every two months to spark discussions about pressing issues, ideas, and concerns.
These web-based, OA papers are something new for us that we've wanted to do for a long time to reflect on a decade of research we've been conducting about the information practices of college students in the digital age. One of the benefits of the Series will be to deliberately bring IL conversations into spaces outside of the library world for a broader readership by educators, Internet scholars, journalists, students, and a general readership.
ABOUT BEING A CHAMPION FOR PIL'S PROVOCATION SERIES
We are interested in building a group of institutional "Champions" that we have listed on the landing page for our new publication. Being a champion DOES NOT require a financial donation.
The Provocation Series Champions: (1) will help us share the essays with their broader networks and through ongoing discussions with colleagues and the larger higher ed community, and (2) show support of formalizing and voicing pressing information literacy and media literacy-related issues, ideas, and concerns while raising new ways of thinking for plotting a way forward. Also as a Champion, we will automatically email you each essay in the Series as it is released.
As an option, if a champion is interested, and in the spirit of facilitating further discussions about the Series' essays, PIL is open to talking about scheduling a virtual chat with one of our authors to hold a discussion about one of the Series essays. We will charge a presentation fee for this service, which is a way to help support PIL's efforts with producing the Series. You can sign up for a Virtual Chat with an author of one our essays here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kIkQenlBaihKsfb0hIdwRvKXnWvZVWToAgcqBGaYxeM/edit#responses MORE ABOUT THE PIL PROVOCATION SERIES
In simple terms, the series focuses on what hasn't been said about information literacy that needs to be brought to light for more discussion. Articles in our series (7-10 pages/2000-5000 words each) raise interesting and original questions and make incisive arguments about problematic issues as well as things in the field that get short shrift but deserve some attention. These articles are a departure from the PIL research reports we
normally publish. Instead, these articles are in a category journalists might call either op/ed, analysis, or “long read” essays. We are planning to produce 5 - 6 current, timely, and relevant papers throughout 2021, released at different times during the year.
Barbara Fister, the Series Contributing Editor, has written our first essay to kick off the Series and it's entitled, "Lizard People in the Library" and was posted on February 3, 202. This essay is about the growing problems with conspiracy theories and the "research it yourself" mentality. This piece is very timely and profoundly relevant, given the Capitol siege on Jan. 6. You can find that essay here:
https://projectinfolit.org/pubs/provocation-series/essays/lizard-people-in-the-library.htmlAlison Head has written an essay on "Reading in the Age of Distrust" for a post on April 7 that delves into whether educators are preparing students with the deep reading skills they’ll need for navigating today's polarizing and increasingly complex information landscape where distrust of information is rampant. In the months that follow, we will have essays posted on data literacy, professional development of information literacy instructors, and critical race theory.
If you have questions, drop me a line at:
alison@projectinfolit.org